Wikileaks to Publish 5 Million Stratfor Emails: Anonymous Involved

The next bomb from Wikileaks is here, and the target is Strategic Forecasting Inc. (Stratfor), an Austin, Texas-based global security think tank.

In its latest high-profile data dump, the group plans to reveal 5 million internal and external emails from Stratfor on Monday. Wikileaks has yet to confirm, but Anonymous is also claiming involvement: "Yes, #Anonymous gave all 5 MILLION STRATFOR emails to Wikileaks. Can't wait for the lulzy videos Stratfor CEO Friedman will issue now. :D," tweeted an anonymous-affiliated account.

[The files] reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal’s Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defense Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor’s web of informers, pay-off structure, payment-laundering techniques and psychological methods.

Stratfor's website describes itself as "a subscription-based provider of geopolitical analysis." It was attacked last December, as well, when hackers stole credit card details for 30,000 of their subscribers and posted them online. CEO and founder George Friedman was quick to dismiss the new leaks as inconsequential:

"God knows what a hundred employees writing endless emails might say that is embarrassing, stupid or subject to misinterpretation... As they search our emails for signs of a vast conspiracy, they will be disappointed," he told Reuters.

It may not be going to grand jury, but an early highlight tweeted by the anonymous features an extensive joke glossary of terms used by Stratfor. Among the best:

NSA: National Security Agency. Also called The Fort. Owns Sigint and Elint. Completely out of control. It is so compartmentalized they refer to other offices as B1 or D8and genuinely don’t know what anyone else does.

As with previous Wikileaks dumps, acquiring the information is only half of the equation: the real work comes as media begins to sift through the mountains of data and starts to pull stories out. As Friedman says, the bulk of the emails will likely be LOLcats and reminders to refill the coffee. But it's hard to imagine that there won't be a few scandals in there. Assange in particular, has said that he wants to look at Stratfor's information gathering against activist organizations.